


Demure | Sephiroth

by Ego_Driven_One_Wing_Angel



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997)
Genre: Angst and Fluff and Smut, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Heavy Angst, Porn With Plot, Porn with Feelings, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-26
Updated: 2020-06-26
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:14:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,076
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24931372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ego_Driven_One_Wing_Angel/pseuds/Ego_Driven_One_Wing_Angel
Summary: What happens in the dark, stays in the dark.Kalista Shir possesses unimaginable secrets. A past is hidden behind intricately woven paintings, a world unspoken by her full lips, a plague her brothel customers seldom understand. A way of life she wouldn't change for the better.Sephiroth has an idea of what those secrets could be and all he has to do is pay her silly price. Keep her close, feel the warmth she gives and wait until she's vulnerable enough to spill those she can not tell.It sounded easy.But nothing ever is.
Relationships: Sephiroth (Compilation of FFVII) & Original Female Character(s), Sephiroth (Compilation of FFVII)/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 17





	1. 1.1

**SEPHIROTH had no time to react.** Just the immediate grabbing of a woman falling into his arms, blood coating his gloved hands, the collective angry screams of the other girls ganging up on a man still hiding in the room behind them. When he had entered the Poppy Circus Outlet, there were a number of things he was prepared to witness, but what happened in front of room 423 became more or less an example of how he can never be fully able for everything. **  
**

One moment she had been hiding in his chest for help, her neck nipped with a blade, soaking the white sheet that barely covered her body in a light coat of red and soft tears, the next she was being dragged from his hands, and finding himself in the owner’s office with a wet rag to clean the dried blood upon his leather.

Lockwood “Daring” Heart kept his lips sealed as Sephiroth cleaned up the mess, trying to find words on how to describe the situation they all just had witnessed. Daring, who had owned the Poppy Circus for nearly six months, had never considered a mishap as large as one of his girl’s being targeted, let alone letting one of the top men in Midgar see the action unfold.

Daring was the type of man who was always dressed in a pressed suit of purple stripes, short yet thin, with a mustache curled at his sides. Daring had a kinder personality, especially compared to the others in the business. He’d never allow someone like Mr. Dunes to come cut his girls, let alone his most prized ones. He’d always kept such strict regulations, made sure his girls were just as happy as he was. He missed the ball on that one.

“I wasn’t aware you’d be coming in,” Daring said through his teeth, lighting a cigar with shaky hands. A moment passed as he took in a puff, letting it blow through his nose briefly before he tried to continue with his voice more steady. “Your SOLDIER men enjoy their time here, more so than the Honey Bee Inn apparently.”

Sephiroth didn’t say a word, but the tension building in the room made Daring take in another long inhale of his cigar, this time, taking the moment to let it fester in his lungs. Daring was terrified. Even more so when Sephiroth placed the wet, now bloodied, rag on the table beside him, and the ice-cold stare he had given Daring made his heart beat a little too fast.

“Genesis enjoys-”

“I’m not going to have the place shut down,” Sephiroth said, his voice as icy as his personality, but Daring still let out a deep breath at those words.

For a minute, he had thought his booming business was going to shut down. All his girls would be homeless on the streets, no longer taking refuge in their piece of heaven located in sector two.

The Poppy Circus Outlet was a rival to the infamous Honey Bee Inn, but had a lot less strict rules and more beautiful girls to choose from. The only pop of color amidst the construction, decorated in pinks and red, golds and yellows, the lobby displaying artistic views of the female form just to tease on what was hidden behind the iron doors. 

Daring always believed the underdog slum locals would be taking advantage of the Poppy Inn more than any other demographic, but he had been mistaken, poorly so. SOLDIER and all their tight-ass personnel kept coming back, and the more they did, the more money lined his pockets. The red-head with a bit of an attitude problem, Genesis, was a continuous source of money. Despite his ego problem and ridiculous requests, the girls not only loved him, but he always counted on that big paycheck to pay off the building.

If there was one man with the power to turn heads, Sephiroth would be one of them.

“Kalista is perfectly alright,” Daring reassured him, despite not getting a sense he even cared. “Just a little cut, the cheese knife got a bit too close I guess, caused her to panic, and when she panics,” he tried to smile, “they all panic.” Another deep puff caused Daring’s true personality to shine a little more, the happy-go-lucky, eccentric owner the rest of Midgar knew him to be.

“It would be more than a pleasure to continue having SOLDIER business,” Daring said with a click of his tongue, “and I’m sure Kalista would be willing to give an apology if-”

“An apology isn’t needed, it wasn’t her fault.”

“Right, but you know, for the blood. Can be quite damaging to clothing sometimes.” And his forced laughter cut off with an unexpected silence. “Okay, maybe an apology isn’t needed. But I’ll throw in some deals for your SOLDIER and we can forget this ever happened.”

Sephiroth’s brows furrowed just a little, almost as if his face hadn’t moved at all. But Daring could tell, the type of solace only found in men like Sephiroth, the ones who have kept everything so bottled in sometimes it was hard to convey even the best emotions. An enigma, both the same and different from Genesis.

“I want to meet her.”

Daring’s ears burned a bit, thinking it was some play on his mind in the heat of excitement and adrenaline. “Excuse me?”

The small office appeared smaller. The soft glow of red hiding his locked jaw, Sephiroth’s subtle grin, how Daring wished he wasn’t face-to-face with the one and only 1st class General. Any other man who had asked would have been given a flat out no, unless a payment had been provided first, but his tongue dared not say it. His stomach at his feet, the cigar no longer calming his nerves. A million things jumbled in his brain momentarily. 

He let out a nervous chuckle, but the lack of humor in Sephiroth sent shivers down Daring’s spine.

“Kalista is what we call a _circi_ here in Poppy. You need an appointment, money, you can’t just ask to meet her and expect it to happen.”

“You just offered to have her give me an apology.”

“An apology and a meeting is different, at least here it is. Kalista is a busy girl.”

“Genesis always talked so fondly of this place.”

“We don’t allow mundan meetings, General.”

“Mentioned you could leave them on retainer.”

“I’m sorry.”

“A high price to make sure they’re yours and yours only.”

Daring let off a grin, another puff, nodding his head. “If you’re threatening me over this I won’t go down without a fight.”

“I only came to see where Genesis spends his time. No better way than to apologize than allow me just a meeting.

Daring let the smoke of his nose, finally setting his cigar on the ashtray, leaning forward. “One meeting. Ten minutes.”

Sephiroth’s subtle grin returned, “I’ll see what I can do in that time.”

**KALISTA bit her tongue as she cleaned the blood from her skin, the graze stinging from the antiseptic soaked in the towel.** She couldn’t help the shaking, how close the knife had gone to her face, the blade in her eye’s vision as he ran it up and down her body, scaring her, waiting for her panicked reaction to take over. But as she sat still, feeling the coldness of steel ponder above her thighs, near her waist, up near her neck, her heart began to beat fast, but she couldn’t move a muscle. She was just silently allowing him to lay wet kisses on her cheeks, the blade moving so close to her artery.

Her body hadn’t reacted in time as he pressed it in, his drunken breath filling her nostrils as she shoved him back. Grabbing the spare sheet on the floor in an attempt to run, her eyes growing wet. She didn’t even make it far in the end, simply colliding with something heavy, smelling of soap and a light sense of musk, a man, no one in the Poppy Inn left without a scent of vanilla and honey.

An outsider.

She couldn’t help but hold onto his arms until one of the other girls heard the running. How the man yelled behind her, requesting her to come back. She wouldn’t look, she wanted to escape in the outsider’s scent for a few moments longer.

Kalista patted the skin as she glanced back in the mirror, inspecting the small cut like it was a war wound. It hadn’t even pierced deep, but Kalista was shaking like it had cut through her muscle and veins. 

Just focus. And Kalista shut her eyes briefly, trying to pine in on the small burn it left. One deep breath, fists clenched on her knees, She’d have to use all her energy, stop shaking for just a second to get the desired results, and just like that, it was done.

Kal took a moment to inspect again, parting her hair to examine her own work. One moment she had bared an unfortunate cut from a cheese knife, the next, it was as if nothing had happened. Minus the still chipping blood near her ear, the deed was no longer visible. Just as she liked it. Daring wouldn’t question it, nor would the girls. 

They knew her secret as well as she did.

Kal took a long drink of the champagne bottle left on her vanity, hoping the alcohol would ease her shattered nerves even briefly. She could hide it, but she couldn’t hide from it.

Thankfully Daring was a good guy or else Kal would have to do everything in her power to hide from that bastard Mr. Dunes. She’d have no need to wait in the halls for him to pass, for him to glance over her as if she was a piece of meat, he’d never have to endure that again, and neither would the others.

Kal finished off the rest of the bottle when a knock had come at her door. She instinctively wrapped her robe around tighter, wiping the smeared red lipstick with her sleeve before she approached the expected visitation.

But when she opened the door, she wasn’t arranged to meet the tall man standing behind him. For a second she had thought Daring was trying to strike up a conversation as he always did with her and her potential customers, but his solemn look said otherwise. It was like he was trying to send her a neurological signal as a warning, but Kal couldn’t tell why.

“Kalista.” Daring greeted her, a smile popping on his face for a second before it completely disappeared. There was a small amount of happiness in his eyes left, but the unfortunate accident had left Daring just as shaken up as she felt. “this is General Sephiroth. He’s the one you bleed all over.” 

Kalista bit her cheek, as always he was pretty blunt when it came to the job. 

“He works for SOLDIER.”

Kal nodded slowly as if she was intently listening, but she was a bit drunk at that point, not to mention Sephiroth seemed a little chillier than the other men Daring would bring down. She constantly walked cautious, and despite Sephiroth not giving off any terrifying vibes just yet, she still had to remain a bit hesitant. It’s how it started with Mr. Dunes. He was a very generous man in the light, but drunk and in the dark, knife-play was possibly the least dangerous thing he could have pulled. She was lucky to find out so quick.

“He wanted to come meet the bleeding woman.” Daring continued with a revamp of his playful tone. Allowing himself into her bedroom, Sephiroth following, Kal got a quick whiff of his soapy smell yet again as he brushed by, and she took in a deep breath. 

“I’m sorry if that’s worth anything,” Kalista said, trying not to bite her lip. She had already scraped off the excess dried skin the past few hours, anymore and she’d tear off her whole bottom lip. The other girl’s would be constantly tearing her apart with their humor, and after the knife, she needed a few days before she could handle being teased by childish entertainment. 

Daring patted her shoulder, “he doesn’t want an apology, Kal. Calm down. He just needs to ask you a few questions.”

Kalista was prepared to say something, but Daring had shushed her like a disobedient child, closing the door behind him before Kal could protest. She should have guessed he’d spring something on her so quickly. 

Sephiroth took a moment to inspect Kalista’s bedroom as Kal reopened her door, escaping to find Daring wherever he had disappeared to. 

Her room was much different than the bright crimson decorating throughout the rest of the Poppy Circus. Everything was coated with deep wine, burgundy, much more calm compared to the exaggerated golds in the hallways. Huge tapestries hung on the walls, a canopy hanging off her bed, large curtains blocking the sunlight, leaving nothing but the soft glow of the candles surrounding him.

Sephiroth stopped in front of her wall paintings, noticing a white streak that read Kalista Shir hidden in the corner. His fingers scraped over it, letting the leather run over the rough texture slowly, but before he could circle through her name, Kalista had stopped him in his tracks.

“I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t.” She said, taking in a deep breath. “The oils and dirt on your gloves would erode the paint faster.”

After a quick debriefing with Daring in the hall, she realized Sephiroth was a bigger name than she had originally thought. But that didn’t mean she had to let him run his hands all over her things as if he owned them. Customers paid for sex, not to view an art gallery.

“Do you paint?” Sephiroth asked, and she was taken back by his deeper voice. 

Kal shrugged. “Sometimes.”

“Do you also sometimes bleed on men in the hallways?”

Her eyebrows cocked, suppressing a smile. She had a hard time trying to tell if he was being serious or joking. “Yeah, it’s how I always find my next client. You know, a way to make sure they know I mark them before they mark me.” She let off a small grin.

Sephiroth had seen beautiful women all over Midgar, but none who had captivated him as much as Kalista seemed to. Underneath the soft candlelight glow, he could still see the freckles dusting her olive skin. Everywhere. On her exposed shoulders, her cheeks, small moles seen on her hands. Hair as dark as a raven’s wing, curly, cascading down her back, and eyes unlike one’s he’s ever come across. Auburn, almost even more gold than the designs of the Poppy Circus.

“That’s why I asked to come talk to you,” Sephiroth said, moving from the painting, inspecting Kalista’s vanity clear on the other side of the room. “Daring said you’re a circi, what does it mean?”

“Daring has a big mouth,” she said quietly, “it’s a fancy word for reserved whore mind you.”

“A bit brash are we not?”

“You can sugarcoat a lot of things, that’s not one of them.”

Sephiroth tried to hide the grin, “how much are you usually reserved for?”

“Depends I guess. When you put girls on retainers it adds bonus funds.” Kal swallowed hard, but she still tried to remain still, taking a seat in one of the leather chairs in the middle of the room.

“Hmm, like what?”

“The daily cost alone can range between five thosand to six thosand gil, added costs are unknown to me. You’d have to ask Daring about it.”

“He’s a strange man.”

“He’s annoying,” Kal corrected. “He can be good, but most of the time I’m stuck doing his work. If he allowed me to do my job and he does his, we wouldn’t be crossing paths so often.”

Kalista found another bottle of champagne, half-full, and took a moment to take a drink while he continued to inspect the paintings surrounding her room. She kept her eye on him as she tasted the sweet undertones.

“Kalista, correct?” Sephiroth tested the name on his tongue, pausing, turning back towards the open door. He could hear the small giggles and whispers of the other girl’s on the floor, probably listening in. He couldn’t ask the things he wanted. Not yet anyway. 

She was about to answer when he said a simple “take care, Kalista.” Leaving the room and shutting the door behind him. Quietly, Kal sunk deeper in her chair.

When Sephiroth had officially left the building, Daring had popped back into her bedroom, his boisterous voice back and booming in her ear as she always remembered to be. Him begging her to tell him the things Sephiroth had asked, wondering why he had even walked through the Poppy Circus Outlet in the first place. But Kalista had nothing to say, and it would be another twenty-four hours before Kal could hear what he had wanted. 


	2. 1.2

**Kalista yawned as one of the other girls continued their fair share of stories. It was as per usual at the Poppy Circus Outlet.** Where the workers gathered around in a circle, left in pillows and half-drunken champagne bottles, drowning out the Midgar noise with sweet music and their even sweeter voices of tales from the night before. Tradition they would call it, but that morning had them buzzing with more laughter and curiosity than ever before.

Adras, who had been labeled as floor two’s leading woman, kept a keen sight on Kalista as another eventful story filled their ears. It seemed their prized girl had no sleep the night before, with subtle black bags hanging from her eyelids, puffy cheeks, a lack in even participating besides slurping the champagne as if she had a better place to be. No surprise, she had been nicked with a knife. But that wasn’t what Adras was paying attention to. She had survived much worse, and still came out smiling. In other words, her usual chipper self was halted, and Adras had a flicker of an idea as to why.

“Well, didn’t you hear what happened last night?” Another one of the girl’s said quietly as if reading Adras’s thoughts, scooting over to Kal and barely grabbing at her thick black hair to call her attention. “A certain General was said to be seen walking out of Kalista’s room, quite scandalous don’t you agree?”

A hoard of laughter arose, and Kal took another sip of her champagne. “Nothing happened.”

Adras tried to keep a smile building on her angular features, a red eyebrow cocked. There was hardly a time where Kalista spilled her story with eager ears, but Sephiroth’s appearance had all the girl’s curious. Not a single one of them had met him before, what made Kalista so special? Special enough to receive an invite into her quarters late at night.

“Not what I heard.” Another said, almost insinuating details that were otherwise untrue. A sly smile, and it caused the other girls to nod and whisper as if they were small children.

“I promise you, it was as thrilling as watching paint dry. Nothing happened.”

Kalista tried not to let the wondering eyes burn, but it was hard keeping thirty girls occupied with fictional stories. Especially if it tarnished a name. Poppy Circus prided itself on secrecy, and if it ever got out that Shinra’s top notch poster boy was wandering in it’s halls, the secrecy would be no more.

But she tried not to imagine his hands running up and down her silk tapestries, so precise, so clean, no wonder he had a fan club built on hormonal young women. He was dripping sex appeal with the most mundane tasks, words, even making Kalista dream up dirty thoughts the moment he had left.

Adras popped open a new bottle, spilling it into her empty cup as she continued to stare, waiting for Kalista to give a few minute details. Anything would satisfy them all.

Kalista’s lips parted just as Daring’s signature knock rang against the wood doors, and all heads pointed until Daring popped in, his wide grin interrupting their storytime and mild interrogation.

Adras set her bottle down, as did the other girls to listen to today’s news. The customer’s, the rooms, the timeline on when and how they are presented and dressed for the upcoming day. If they were still on retainer, if they were removed, how much money they would be receiving and so forth. Important details every girl in the Poppy Circus kept their ears open for. Especially the ones who’s salary depended on the men who wandered through the doors.

“I have some very good news today,” Daring said, almost dancing as he clapped his hands together. His teeth were showing more than ever, his eyes nearly shut, and he let his voice run in a sing-song pattern. “We have one of our girl’s now set on an official retainer. Can you guess which one of you had captivated a man’s heart to the point of spending stupid amount of gil?”

A few of them shook their heads no.

Daring wandered over close to Kalista, pulling the champagne glass from her hands and sitting right beside her.

“Oh Kal,” he said as if he was on the brink of bursting into song, “can you guess? Just take a huge shot in the dark on which one of you has lured in a lucky lad.”

Kalista shrugged.

“Oh darling, it’s you!”

The other girls chorused into a wave of oohs, deliberately trying to come closer and listen further as Kalista sat up from her pillow, a little uneasy and wary of her future endeavors. Especially after the unfortunate customer she had dealt with previously, she was a bit terrified to hear what plans Daring had next. She could never be too cautious.

“What are you talking about?”

“Sephiroth.” He said as if it was obvious, handing her back her glass as he skittered off to the other side of the room. He was beyond proud, feet kicking as if dancing, twirling with the other girls, listening in on the music barely heard through the jukebox. “My little peach you, always seducing the best ones and you seemed to catch the biggest fish in the whole dang pond this time.”

Kalista let out a chuckle, taking a much needed sip of her now returned champagne. “You’re joking.”

“Why would I be joking?” And before she could ask anymore questions, he skipped back, placing a finger above her plump lips to shush her. “You must prepare to get ready, he’ll be back tonight”

 **Kalista fiddled with the pins in her hair, propping up a loose curl there, pulling her bangs from her face, letting them loose and raising them up as she couldn’t decide.** Hair was never her specialty and she stared back at the mirror, focusing, watching as her hair turned from a solid black to a fire-crimson in a mere few seconds. She inspected her new look, trying to decide if red was too much, but the footsteps riding behind her door caused her hair to simmer back it’s raven flight.

Her stomach seemed to be lodged in her throat. There weren’t many men that sent her nerves haywire prior to her first appointment, but it seemed Sephiroth did. Maybe it was the major height difference, his voice, how he presented himself so well without even trying. She hardly met a man that could just waltz into her room with a set goal in mind, Daring was picky, and it meant she had to be on her best behavior if Sephiroth was graciously paying for her services.

But as she opened the door, Daring’s sweetened face popped back into view, the smile still evident, his teeth polished and primed with the faint smell of mint and alcohol.

“Oh, Kalista,” he said, pushing the door aside as he inspected his best showgirl. Hand underneath her chin, moving her head side-to-side to see the painted beauty of the Poppy Circus Outlet.

Lips like a rose, eyes lined with black, lashes set to a point with her natural rosy cheeks coming to view. With the candle-lit glow, he was quite pleased with how well she could present herself. One minute she was just a simple beauty, the next, a million-dollar prize. All dolled up in a silk robe.

“Beautiful as always,” he said, removing his hand and inspecting Kalista’s room next.

Compared to the other girls in the building, she always had a much cozier atmosphere. With thick blankets lining the windows and bed, tapestries with gold fringe and candles seeping out a sweet vanilla scent. Carpets so soft and fluffy, paintings and brushes hidden in corners, and Kal’s signature bottle of champagne always sitting at a table.

He always did appreciate Kal’s tactic on homely appeal.

“He’ll be here in the next hour,” Daring said, “Genesis and the other usual SOLDIER are already here, but I’m sure he wouldn’t want the attention to be brought unto him, you know, with his reputation and all. So just be prepared when he does show, I won’t be there to break the ice.”

She nodded, “how much did he pay?”

“The usual. But I may or may not have taxed a bit more off him to pay the building off.”

“How much for me?”

“Seventy-percent, as always.”

Kalista couldn’t help but let the smile wander. “You always know what to say.”

“Of course I do, darling.” And he patted her on the shoulder, as he always did to wish her good luck. “If there’s any trouble like last night, please come to my office. Get one of the other girls. Don’t come back in here to hide out, alright?”

She gave a little kiss on the cheek, a red stain left on his tanned skin. “Always.”

One final pat and he shut the door behind him, leaving Kalista to her things. For a minute she believed Sephiroth was already there, but as the candles flickered and the other girl’s shut the doors to their bedrooms, she realized she was on her own for a while.

Within the hour. Daring’s voice popped back into her head, and she smacked her lips mindlessly as she fiddled with a stray curl. There was a lot to mentally prepare, and the only way to stop the anxiety from rising, and keep her stomach from releasing large amounts of alcohol, she turned to the one thing she knew.

Painting.

Kal hadn’t even pulled out all her brushes when another knock echoed on her door. The lump in her throat returned, and she couldn’t stop herself from staring blankly as another knock filled her eardrums. Her hands seemed to be shaking, and she couldn’t figure out why.

But with baited breath, she had made it to the door, opening it, and getting the fresh scent of honey and soap.

“You were downstairs in Daring’s private bar weren’t you?” She said matter-of-factly, letting Sephiroth in as she got another whiff of the honey infused wax they kept on in the bars downstairs. She could always tell when a customer would come crawling out the waiting room, it was usually very few, but those that had taken a minute or two waiting in Daring’s personal lounge always left with an engraved smell of sweet honey and tea leaves. Much different than the cigar smoke and hard liquor in level two’s free range bar.

The click of the door closing had her heart set on fire. Her mouth had gone dry. And a very low chuckle escaped her throat.

“What’s so funny?” Sephiroth asked, and Kalista tried not to speak as she shut the door completely, locking it as she always did in case curious souls decided to peek. Not the best in case she wanted to get out, but it was better than letting a pervert interrupt her most intimate moments.

“It’s nothing.” She finally said, turning back to find Sephiroth back in front of her paintings. He seemed to have a fascination with them, but she didn’t mind. She hadn’t met another person who appreciated the arts like she did. It felt different. Just to let someone take their view of her art, it was almost joy-ridden, and Kalista almost forgot the fear rising in her nerves.

Kalista placed her paintbrushes on the stand next to her, coming up behind Sephiroth just to peek at her own artwork too.

“Do you know who this is?” He curiously questioned, his eyebrows furrowed at the contrast of the blond woman holding a rose. So pristine, quaint, almost as if it was a snapshot of reality framed for the world to see.

Kalista shrugged, “she was this girl I met a long time ago. She used to work here. Never been painted, so I ought to change that.”

“And you kept it?”

“She never came back to get it.” She said quietly, almost as if the thought disappointed her. “I’ve had it ever since.”

He nodded at her answer, and for a moment the room was silent. Minus their low breathing and the wind picking up against the window. They were beginning to hear the rest of the nightly cries of the other rooms, and Kalista tried not to think about it too much.

“Why did you put me on retainer?” She couldn’t help but say. Crossing her arms as if it was an interrogation scene and not a civil conversation. She was never supposed to ask, but Sephiroth was too weird not to question.

Most men who had paid her would already be taking their clothes off, kissing her, smearing her makeup as they drank too much champagne and vodka. Sephiroth only smelt like Darin’s honey, not a smidgen of alcohol left on his clothes or breath, nor even insinuating the concept of sex. Even last night, he hadn’t given a damn clue on what he really wanted from her.  
“How old are you, Kalista?”

He said her name so clearly, perfect enough to bottle every syllable.

“Twenty-two.”

“How long have you been working here?”

“Four years, but I’ve been with Daring much longer than that.”

“How long.”

“Does it really matter?”

“It does.”

She kept her mouth shut, brows furrowed as a slight smile appeared on Sephiroth’s lips. “Does it actually matter?” She repeated, and his blue eyes nearly burned through her, almost as if he was reading her every thought rather than just staring.

“I would like to know.”

“Hmm,” Kalista shook her head, stepping a few feet away as she lanced down at a near-extinguished candle. “Most people don’t ask for a full background. Let alone buy me before even having a single night with me. What do you really want, Sephiroth?”

And he let off another smile just by the sheer utter of his name. Kalista had a voice like velvet, smooth to the ears and capturing every word. She hadn’t said his name before, and it only added to the ideas circulating his mind.


	3. 1.3

Kalista hadn’t even a moment to react as Sephiroth’s leather fingers ran diligently across her cheek. Soft, calculating, shivers escaping her body as he traced near her jawline with the back of his hand with uttermost confidence. He knew exactly what he was doing, and she stepped back far from his reach before his voice echoed in her ears again. This time much more forceful, intimidating, and she tried not to let her hormones get the better of her.

“You never answered my questions.”

She tried not to smile, escaping to her vanity before he could take a second to touch her again. If he really wanted the answers, it wouldn’t be too hard to pull them from her. The right movement, the right words, she’d be spilling out her whole life story if he so wanted her to. But she wouldn’t, not to a man she had just met, and certainly one who worked in SOLDIER. She heard stories, and some of them were too brash and cunning to release private information.

“Those answers aren’t free.” She said, “but for entertainment purposes, I’ll let you ask one. The others require payment money can’t buy.” One finger rose before she pulled the remainder of her pins out, letting the curls fall past her shoulders as it did the night before.

Kalista tried not to let Sephiroth’s eyes bother her, so intent on watching her do the simplest task, eyes tracing her hands as they ran through her hair, pulling stray knots. Letting the waves flow through her fingers like water, soft and silky.

“Well?” She asked, her honey voice returned, so simple yet hidden with a hint of mischief. “You have one question, ask whatever you wish.”

Sephiroth turned away, scanning the other paintings and tapestries in the room, “how long have you been with Daring?”

A smile spread on Kalista’s face. Slowly taking a hair brush and running through the waves as she spoke. Quiet, eerie, almost as if she was still hiding something between her words, “Eight years. A girl that had worked here found me wandering the streets alone. She brought me to her home in the slums, mind you this was before Daring had an idea to buy an inn. He’s been watching over us ever since.”

Sephiroth stayed quiet, and Kal continued. “Does that answer your question?”

“No.”

“What a shame.”

The pounding steps of Sephiroth stopped behind her, and she subtly turned as she set the brush down. She could smell the leather, mixed with the still infused honey and vanilla from downstairs. Like a smokey haze, burning her nostrils the moment he had returned by her side. 

His hand found it’s way near her neck, propping it just underneath her jaw, forcing her to look at herself in the mirror. Sephiroth’s thumb gently jingled the earrings hanging off her ear, hot breath warming her skin, and his voice running rhythms throughout her body.

“What a shame,” He mocked, and Kal felt a pressing feeling in her chest, her body wanting to give in to his words, her eyes shut as he forced her to gaze at him. Everything trembled, her legs, her fingers, her lips, and she let out a breath as he let the leather rub against her neck, stopping near her ear before he continued. “Where’s the wound, Kalista?”

His warmth left her body as she swallowed a lump in her throat. Trying to regain her composure with a small smile. “Wouldn’t you like to know.” She wrapped the silk rope tighter around her, as if the small barrier of clothing would stop his seducing touches.

“Why don’t you tell me where it’s gone to?”

“I said one question. I don’t give freebies.”

Sephiroth’s form filled the void behind her yet again, and she stared at him through the mirror, waiting for him to touch her again. She wasn’t much of playing rough, but how his leather warmed her skin, the tightness of her jaw held by him, she had shivers upon shivers quaking through her body just imagining what those fingers could do. 

“Aren’t I paying you already?” He asked, bending down back to Kalista’s eye level, watching her through the reflection. The smallest of smirks left his mouth, and she tried not to melt.

Kalista swallowed again, “in a way.” She finally took the chance to face him, silver hair cascading down near the floor, sharp eyes covered in thick lashes dark compared to the snow of his hair. Beautiful in a very strange way. “That’s for services, or company. Whatever you wish. Information however,” Kal kept her focus on him. Trained to imagine they were the only two people in the world, and at the moment, she felt as if it was. “That’s personal, I want something out of it.”

“Hmm,” he said, and she almost thought he was going to leave, but no. Merrily standing above her again, focusing only on her as she faced her reflection, his fingers tracing up her arm, pulling at the silk as he continued his trail near her exposed shoulders. 

She tried not to move. How good it felt to have her skin caressed. 

“What do you want, Kalista?”

With the words stuck in her throat, Sephiroth became close again, his lips and warmth close to her ear. “What do you want?” He repeated, and Kal felt her legs start to shake. Sephiroth was dripping with good looks, sex appeal, and everything he was doing had been on purpose, wanting her to shiver in his touch, to melt in his fingers and give him what he asked for.

“I-” What did she want? Was that all she was meant for? To be the sex object of a man every night? Is that actually all she desired when asked? It was hard to take the question seriously when her body was ready to jump in head first. “I want fun.” She finally let out. Stepping up, again, rushing out of his reach. “Anything. Everything.”

Sephiroth’s brow furrowed just slightly, and that smirk reached his lips. 

She couldn’t help but twirl her hair around her finger, running her eyes from his feet to his toes. She liked the SOLDIER getup, suited him quite well in her opinion. Even the touch of skin across his chest caused her to get dizzy just imagining the clothes removed. She could only dream what his skin felt like across hers.

“Do you think you’re up for the task?” She finally said, “give me a little fun and you get what you want?”

A flash of curiosity flickered in his eyes, and Kalista took her time walking back to him. Steps slow, quiet, the beating of her heart enveloping her ears as she became close enough to get a whiff of his soap and Daring’s honey candles. So sweet.

Kalista, even on the tips of her toes, barely reached Sephiroth’s collar bone, but the regrowing confidence lifting in the pit of her stomach, and the hunger running through her veins, didn’t let the height difference phase her. Instead, she placed her fingers around the crook of his belt, pulling him just a little closer.

“Are the SOLDIER as brave as they say?” She coaxed. “Fight battles they may not win?”

Her other hand trailed near his hand, the pads of her fingers running across the leather of his gloves. She could barely sense his pulse, but the strange tension building kept her going. Her finger curling around the edge, pulling at it just so.

Kalista finally slipped one of his gloves off, testing the waters and allowing it to fall to the floor near her feet. She couldn’t keep herself from running her fingers up his bare hands. Touching his soft palm, following his pronounced veins up until she could barely grip his wrist, a smile creeping on her face in the candlelit room. She could only focus on Sephiroth’s crisp blue eyes now, the one’s unlike any she’s ever seen, so intimidating, so beautiful, like ice. Even more so when being glazed over with subtle curiosity. Kalista now moved ever so closer, inhaling the soap still left on his skin, nearly intoxicating her.

“Physical touch isn’t necessarily required but,” she placed his hand on her thigh, guiding him along until it rode up her robe, grazing the lace of her underwear, “there are other ways you can get me to talk.”

Sephiroth paused as Kalista removed her fingers from his, wrapping them around his neck until she pulled him into a tender kiss. His lips like sweet velvet. Better than she could have imagined. Just as sweet as honey, and soft as silk, even the subtle taste of champagne was left. No doubt Daring had conned him into a few drinks.

Kalista’s hands wrapped in his hair, bringing him even closer. Lungs burning, lips becoming swollen, she couldn’t stop now that she started.

Her heart beat faster, her fingers tingling as her adrenaline started to pump through her veins. Another second and she was able to feel his callouses continue to ride up on his own. Wrapping around her waist until he pulled her closer into the kiss. Ravenous and greedy, as if he hadn’t been touched in his lifetime. 

Kalista tried to keep a smirk from playing on her lips, but Sephiroth had experience. From the way he slid his hands underneath the strap of her lingerie, the way he challenged her, the simplest kisses driving her a bit wild. 

Kal left the warmth of his arms as she pulled her robe off, letting it fall past her ankles as she pushed him into the bed behind them. Crawling on top, straddling his legs as she continued a rough kiss.

Her hair whipped past her shoulders, one more touch of their lips and Kal asked, “so how much do you want to know?”

It seemed the tables had turned, Sephiroth’s words stuck in his throat as Kal worked her magic. Leaving the softest kisses across his cheeks, her tongue tracing his jaw with light flicks, watching the vein in his neck, the hitched breathing in his chest, it seemed even Sephiroth had a limit. How divine.

But she hadn’t even caused a shiver before his fingers curled back into her hair, pulling her head back.

She let out a small laughter, “rough play? Should have guessed.”


	4. 1.4

His hot breath building near her heat, the longer he kept her at bay, the smallest touches, the sweetest kisses, Sephiroth was waiting until Kal’s toes began curling all before he even began his usual torment on her.

Wet marks left by his tongue, leaving trails across her skin as his fingers slowly ran up her folds. Her breathing hitched, holding the silk sheets for support as he left those kisses closer and closer near her clit. Watching her shiver under his touch, the tiniest moans escaping the back of her throat.

He couldn’t help but relish in the sounds. Her harsh breathing, like music as he continued rubbing his fingers across her soaking wet core. The faster he went, the more noise she made, and he left another kiss upon her inner thigh as she shivered yet again.

“Fuck,” she finally whispered. Eyes shut, focusing on just him. Kalista hadn’t been caressed, stimulated as well as Sephiroth was making her feel. Dizziness spreading, the adrenaline pumping through her body, dopamine, and serotonin filling her brain. The canopy above her bed was reminiscent of stars, swirls, as Sephiroth left another soft kiss.

“How much are you willing to tell me?” He asked, running his fingers across her opening, barely letting a finger coax the inside of her walls. Teasing her as she gripped the sheets again, a sharp intake of breath as he paused.

Before she had a moment to respond, he inserted a single finger, her thighs shaking as he kept going at an insufferably slow pace. At first, simply watching her reaction. How her eyes closed, head jerked back, back arched as he simply ran his fingers through the warmth of her core. Juices spilling across his hand. Moans built in her throat, filling the room with even sharper intakes of breath, the sweet honey voice of Kalista left in whiny, pitiful cries.

“Stop teasing, or you’re not-” she tried to warn, but she couldn’t finish her sentence as he added another digit, gripping her thighs between his head as she arched her back. Her first instinct was to close them, stop his torture just long enough to speak, but Sephiroth wouldn’t let her. Instead, going fast enough to cause her head to spin just a little more, but not enough for her to be writhing across the bed in pure adulterated bliss.

“Hmm,” he simply said, waiting until Kalista let out another short-breathed _fuck_. Fingers gripping the bed sheets, even more, pulling them from the corners of the mattress. “I’m not what?” A smirk crawled on his face, and Kalista wasn’t even angry. Barely peering down at him as he continued the softest torture, legs shaking.

When she hadn’t responded, he asked again, stopping completely this time. An unsatisfied whine coming from Kalista as she grabbed his wrist, auburn eyes pleading not to stop.

“The answer to your question doesn’t exist.” She said flatly, her breathing still heavy.

When he had undressed her earlier, how wonderful he had gone through the process, so calculating as she felt the cold air hit her freshly exposed skin. The kisses now tracing her jawline, so soft, the whisper of his intimidating voice asking where her cut had disappeared to. She only shook her head, brows furrowed as his hands ran her bare body, the callouses getting a taste of what she had to offer.

Even with how she had removed the buckles of his coat, she still protested when he asked again. How she left him in just the black fabric of his pants, his athletic build free for her to touch and to roam with her curious eyes, how she still tried to keep her secrets to herself. He couldn’t know. He was still merely a stranger, a beautiful one, but a stranger none-the-less.

“You know what I want,” he said, watching her thighs still shake just a bit. She wanted more, that was true, but how far would she go to get what she desired? Sephiroth wanted to know the answer more so than Kalista ever did.

“I promise. I don’t.”

“You don’t? Or you just refuse to tell me?”

Kalista stayed quiet, Sephiroth receiving his answer as she still held his hand in place. 

She was still trembling as she let go, propping herself up, the sweat built on her skin as Sephiroth’s curious eyes never left her sight. He hadn’t even let the whole event stop his usual stoic behavior, and she oddly found it attractive. If only he wasn’t so demanding.

“What do you really want to know?” She finally asked, her voice breathy, quiet enough to hear the background noise of the other girls. “I know for a fact that’s not what you want.”

Sephiroth let out a low chuckle, amusingly interested as he crawled above her, silver hair surrounding them like a curtain as his knuckles gracefully ran across her waist. “I know you for a few hours and you already think you know everything?”

“Not everything.”

She let out a small laughter, her hands finding themselves on his shoulders, feeling his muscles flex the moment the pads of her fingers left a touch. How far would the two of them go?

“I want to know _everything_.” He said flatly, and she thought of it as a joke, until his next few words caused her stomach to grow into a knot. “How did you find yourself in the streets of Midgar?”

“That’s none of your business.”

Sephiroth’s hand returned to her clit, rubbing it slowly as he asked it again, kissing her shoulder as she let out a whimper. So sweet, eyes shut as she tried to focus on the feeling, his fingers growing faster before inserting themselves back inside.

Rubbing against her walls in a slow-paced race, watching her flinch, twisting them in just the right areas to get her body reacting. Slick with juices. Her nails clawed into his back as he quickened the pace, a smirk lining his lips as he inserted his second finger, then a third, quick and easy-like as she became louder underneath him.

Kalista trembled, moaning, now gripping the sheets as Sephiroth began to go faster, building the fire growing in her core. Her toes curling, the pressure rising.

“Tell me what I want to know,” he commanded, slowing his pace until Kalista propped herself up on the bed, her brows furrowed from the lack of stimulation. She had been sent near the edge, the fire burning with her eyes glazed with lust and wanting more. Everything felt a bit dizzy, but she needed him to continue, how the callouses felt inside her, his tongue coursing across her juices until her muscles tightened underneath his hands.

Before Kalista could say a word, Sephiroth continued his work, going back to the slow and insufferable pace he had gone previously, only stimulating her insides enough to want more. She tried to think, but the only thing running through her mind was the need to be released. The whole act had taken over.

Kalista grabbed his wrist, her breathing heavy. “I said I need payment.” Kal took in a deep breath, trying to regain some of her consciousness even for just a moment, “teasing isn’t payment.”

Sephiroth only grinned, and Kalista regretted her words.

All touch left her body, his hand grabbing the underparts of her thigh, squeezing it. He kept her in place, his lips finding themselves back on her collarbone, nipping, leaving her still trembling.

Kal had wrapped her arms around his neck, getting the full exposure of his bareback, the toned muscles flexing as he continued his violating acts upon her skin. Tiny gasps of air escaped, her cheeks dusted with pink, Sephiroth’s tongue trailing across her most sensitive areas.

With her leg still pinned, he inserted his fingers with his other hand, watching Kalista’s expression personally. How even the subtle moments kept her eyes shut, the flicks leaving her gasping, how hard she focused on rolling her hips for faster release. She had become putty so easily underneath his finger, almost quite pathetic really. Sephiroth tried not to enjoy it too much, he still wanted her screaming his name.

“Tell me what I want to know,” he repeated, going faster in his movements, Kalista getting wetter by the second. “What’s your real name, Kalista?”

She loved how he said her name. So crisp and clear, every syllable preplanned and orderly. The very tongue that had licked her clit, the very one leaving trails across her breasts and down her waist as she tried to focus on the question. But every time she had any coherent thought, Sephiroth had ruined it with another one of his velvet touches.

Grabbing at her skin, fingering her, keeping her preoccupied from thinking other than _damn_.

“Try a different question,” she finally let out, moaning as Sephiroth hit a certain spot. “I know you got more, c’mon, ask me another?” She nearly begged. She just wanted sweet pleasure. Most of her customers rarely let her enjoy the carnal pleasure of the flesh, only releasing themselves and leaving her with unobtained needs. But Sephiroth was so close, so very close to letting her cum against his fingers, and he was doing it so well in her opinion. 

She could feel the slight smirk as he moved to kiss her waist, letting his fingers continue to build that tension back in her stomach. 

“Tell me what I want, Kalista,” He spoke in her skin, and Kal let out another loud moan. 

Sephiroth kept his pace, wanting to wait until Kalista found her answers, or she’d be wishing she did later. He’d have her begging on her knees, pleading with lustful eyes and a body yearning to be touched by him, to please him if it meant receiving the same treatment. Kalista was already on the verge the moment he had paid, and the longer he kept her, he could only imagine the type of things she’d do for him.

Her toes curled as he kept leaving kisses across her body. Watching her twitch. He seemed to be captivated by the most endearing sounds she made, how lewd and loud they had been, the other girls and customers no doubt hearing how she cried. But he wanted her to say his name, simple as it was.

“It’s Kalista.” She said, without a second to even think about the question, but her body grew warm. _Liar._

Sephiroth had plenty of practice on understanding body language, and the moment Kalista had opened her mouth to speak, the sweet voice now breathy as she let out her own name, _lying_ straight to his face as if he was stupid enough to fall for it.

He let his fingers part, his warmth now gone as Kalista’s brows furrowed. Sephiroth hadn’t even parted from the bed as she grabbed his wrist, letting her own selfish desires take the better of her.

“Please,” she begged. “I can’t tell you, not right now.” 

Not right now? Sephiroth could work with that answer. If she so easily began to tell him the first night they had met, no doubt in a couple of weeks he’d have everything he needed. The answers to his questions revealed. What little secrets did Kalista Shir hold in her head, how many could he pry from her red-stained lips?

He could still hear the harsh breathing from her, how she let her fingers run through her hair, sweat coating her forehead. She seemed to be still running off her high, and Sephiroth’s lips curved into a smirk at his work despite never letting her reach what she desired. 

“You’re leaving already?” She asked, turning over as she watched him grab his clothing off the floor. The clinks of buckles, how easy he made it look as he applied them back on his body. 

“I’ll be back,” he said simply.

And Kalista had a bitter taste in her mouth, as if she had just lost the best thing she was ever going to get.


	5. 1.5

**Kalista was briefly awoken by the sudden bang of a door, and with last night’s memories still embedded in her mind, she was wishing Adras’s early afternoon habits were stopped for just even a few more hours, just enough to let her drift off.** There weren’t many girls who started their shower routine early in the Poppy Circus, as most customers and girls still slept well into the late day without a second thought. It hindered their beauty sleep, their rest for their upcoming work, and all the soft rosy bubbles down below in the basement couldn’t coax any of them into waking early, and that included Kalista.

But the pipes now sounding below kept Kalista well awake, and she felt her stiff muscles ache as she tried to turn over in her bed, covering her ears with one of the millions of pillows Kalista kept against the headboard. The satin texture could only do so much as Adras’s chirpy voice echoed through the hallways, going as far as tapping on the next room’s creaky door asking unrelated questions about shampoos and oils. She tried to keep her eyes shut. Knowing the sound would leave quickly.

Despite it all, her mind now circulated with more thoughts and ideas, no doubt asking her to hither down with the rest of them before the hot water disappeared. She needed a shower, especially since her legs still tingled, strangely, with his barely-there kisses and tongue that sent shivers down her spine. It was if it was some exotic dream of pleasurable torture and there was nothing except wondering why his questions had become so personal so fast. She had been questioned for a number of things before, but SOLDIER being invested, there was no undeniable truth, they knew something.

Her fingers traced across her jaw, letting the skin fade. A scab, thick and rough against the pads of her flesh. She winced, quickly reversing the effects. _Don’t let them see_ , Daring’s words echoed, like a record, always and forever consistently on her mind.

How would Sephiroth react to seeing her secrets?

A hoard of doors opened as she jumped, the wood breaking against cement walls as the rest of the girl’s tired voices began scattering through the building. Their ropes tightened around their waists, hair messy and knotted, perhaps makeup smeared underneath their eyelashes as they walked in a group, one another whispering between themselves in case customers still slept in other beds. 

Kalista tossed her scattered pillows to the side, grabbing her robe off the floor quickly before leaving the warm comfort of her bedroom. The candles dissipated, the tapestries smelling of oils and the lingering smell of old paint, Sephiroth’s left-over scent embedded in the silk sheets, on her robe, as if he never left. Strange how the lobby oils smelt different on him. _On her_. A mix of honey and the musk of a stranger.

She shivered as she remembered how his calloused fingers roamed her body. If only he had let her finish, but the price for it was far too much to expose, and she absentmindedly ran her sleeve over the non-existent scab yet again. Pestering her not to tell.

Adras gave a wave as Kalista walked into the hallway, the smokey haze now gone to give the interior a chance to air out, let the hungover scent of cigar smoke and incense disappear before the night would fall again. The window left open, a light breeze breaking the smell of men and overused perfume. The only time of day when the sun was let into the Poppy Circus, the only time Kalista could see the sun, smell the after-effects of smog and hear the merchants music in the distance. The voices of strangers, the noises of a slum city. 

Kalista had barely let the sun touch her skin as Adara shut it quickly, a smile present as she tried to guide her away from the exposure. The creeks of the carpet louder in her ears as the curtains fell behind her.

“You and I know how Daring feels about the windows.” She said, taking her leave to the basement with the other girls.

Kalista felt her heart drop just a little as she peeked behind the curtain. Bars, thick enough to stop even a child from slipping through, strapped outside like a prison. Brand new. Kalista remembered the old one’s were rusted beyond comprehension, enough to break in half with bare hands if you tried. A sliver compared to these. Being as thick as her wrist, and much more durable in an event one tried to break in.

_Or break out._

She shivered again. This time parting ways to head downstairs, past the lobby, the bars, the golden glow of the main entrance, all the way down into the sinking hole of the basement of Poppy Circus. Where the walls were no longer colored that tacky gold, the pipes were clearly rusted and leaked onto the cement floors, the slight smell of mildew mixed with flowers.

Every building had an ugly area, and in this case, it was the basement. Daring had spared no expense when it came to the Poppy Circus, wanting to make it rival that of the entire Wall Market circuit. How everything was built into something exotic and luxurious, a place most people would dream of even entering. But the renovations stopped the moment the public’s eye did. Which left the basement a cesspool of broken porcelain tubs and leaky faucets.

The girls traded every day. Being blessed enough to get private areas of walled-in toilets and showers but not enough to get working equipment, they found it as traditional as their storytelling circles to switch with one another. One day five girls were given the best fitting tubs, while about three had to endure the problematic fixtures with a wrench. It was done enough times to spark competition, and Adras held the record with six minutes when it came to turning on the water heater.

Kalista’s best score was ten, and even then it had been a struggle to pull the wrench off.

She tried not to peer as she entered one of the empty rooms. Turning the faucet on as she unraveled her hair, toweling off her leftover mascara as the steam coated the mirror. Again, Kalista felt upon her jaw, her heartbeat racing as Sephiroth’s voice whispered in her ear. It was all too strange. He was strange. 

There was something otherworldly about him. Never had she encountered a customer like him in all the years she spent at the inn, and she bet she would never meet someone like him again. In the past, those that came were the typical unhappy men in marriages, or sex addicts who claimed a new woman every night to waste their time. Not to mention the older business workers who seemed to have a difficult way of keeping their image clean. 

_Sephiroth_. How even his name had a different taste.

Kalista slipped into the warm water, the bubbles smelling of lilac. The other girls maintained their good spirits as she sunk into the heat, their giggles distant as she shut her eyes for what would only be a few minutes. Fingers grasping the side of the tub, the bubbles popping near her nose, her hair now absorbing the foggy oils stuck in the air. It would be her only time to relax before the others would hound her with questions later. Sitting on their pillows sipping champagne and wine as they discussed their worst customers of the night.

All before Sephiroth would return. _If_ he returned.

She tried not to think of it. He seemed to already be filling her mind too much and the day had only started. As disappointing as it sounded, she was already preparing to never see him again. Daring would come into her bedroom, as he always did, saddened and deliver the news with the utmost heartache layering his voice. She’d shrug, and move on. Just like any man who had come to play.

Despite her pessimistic ideas, she was fully unaware of the idea of being someone else’s distraction. How _her_ voice, _her_ face, the slight glimmer of _her_ eyes stuck on his thoughts as he tried to read through Shinra’s newest mission files. Fifty-one levels above the entrance of Shinra headquarters. Sitting quietly alone with the buzz of his computer filling the background, the slight hint of employee conversations circulating the hallways, the only thing upon his mind were the midnight cries of Kalista.

 **Sephiroth’s files were nothing short of disturbing.** Wutai had been a perfect example of how easily war propaganda spread, how simple the loss of a few men rattled the city in a pure unadulterated pride of warriors scratching an itch. Those who have lost their husbands and sons said otherwise. 

Shinra’s latest mission carved a deep cut into his well being as six more SOLDIERS died in action. The Director’s signature painted with ink on parchment, the foil of Shinra shining under the light and a single black line set for Sephiroth to sign as well, issuing the final nail in the coffin for their files. He had become so desensitized to the numerous soldiers dying, he almost felt nothing as he read a few more, and he found it far more disgusting than the reports lying on his desk.

His thoughts were drawn away as his door lifted open, heavy footsteps, Angeal’s presence followed by a file tossed on his keyboard. 

“What you asked for,” Angeal said, not even waiting for Sephiroth’s half-assed questions he already knew the answer to. It had been days since Sephiroth had last asked Angeal to rummage in the Shinra records, he almost forgot about it. Almost.

 _Kalista Shir._ A folder near empty. Not a thing under her name. No family, no friends, not background other than the words _likely born in Golden Saucer_ near her profile. There wasn’t even a photo identification, and Sephiroth shut it before he turned back to Angeal, “is this all you could find?”

“Everything that had the name Kalista Shir is right in your hands. There isn’t much to her, you’re positive it isn’t some form of alias?”

“I apologize for not getting that far.” Sephiroth’s voice drier as he went over the events in his head. The cries of her sweetened voice stuck in his ears and he could only blame himself for the lack of questioning. He had become too involved in pleasing her, how she trembled under him in just the right ways, her fingers curling in the sheets. Then the pained whine as he left her heated.

He shut his eyes as he tried to remember something else. His brows furrowed, jaw locked as he could only imagine how their next visit would unfold. He had come back last night with swollen lips and the taste of something sweet left on his tongue, that Poppy Circus honey scent stuck on his clothes, smelling it in his pillows the following morning before he took a shower.

Kalista had left a very obvious mark on him.

Sephiroth placed the folder in the cabinet of his desk, no intention of returning to whatever library Angeal had pulled it from. Kalista’s lack of information caused more questions to rise, and he felt no shame at the thought of returning.


	6. 1.6

**Kalista’s paintbrush dropped onto the floor as Adras grabbed a few wine glasses**

It had only been a few hours since Kalista had taken her relaxing bath. Where the warm bubbles eased her sore muscles, the minty and herbal shampoos soaked into her hair, curls smelling much more like a garden and less like a sweaty brothel worker. Those very oils now moistened her skin, soft and delicate to the touch, and she felt brand new, _almost_. Her thighs still shivered at the thought of Sephiroth’s fingers running across them, and she wanted to wear her best lingerie the moment she got out in case he returned to finish the job.

But instead, Kalista picked up her brush off the wood floors, wiping it with her towel as she tried to keep her thoughts a smidge more pure since Adras watched with curious eyes. Knocking open a wine bottle Daring hid in the back of the cupboards for special occasions. A very old, and very dusty bottle that had writing no longer visible. No doubt expensive and delicious. 

That early afternoon, Kalista and Adras were prepared to spend it in Daring’s quiet lobby together. The honey smell had faded since Sephiroth had been wandering in its walls, but pretty soon, Daring would turn back the incense and diffusers on and let them feast on the paint. Filling it with its usual honey odor and vanilla perfume that left anyone a little dizzy from the fumes.

But for now, it was only the smoking guns of Poppy Circus who looted the bars. Adras, and Kalista, both uncertain on their contracts with men who left them rather unsatisfied, now drinking their problems away as the other girl’s occupied themselves in the markets in sector six. 

“One for me,” Adras poured the bottle until the final drop fell in the wine glass, setting it to her side as she slid the half-filled goblet towards Kalista, “and one for you. Sounds like you need something stronger, but I’m sure this will hold us out while you entertain yourself.”

Kalista cleaned her brush with a little paint thinner as she took a sip, tasting the bittersweet peach tart against her tongue. “Daring certainly hid this one for a reason.” Kalista coughed, shoving the glass far from her table easel and far from where her hands could reach for it again. It didn’t burn, but it felt like her tongue had dried up from the alcohol. 

“Tastes fine to me,” Adras said, taking a long sip from her cup before plucking one of Kalista’s tattered brushes from the table. 

Fine brown hairs, the brass covered in various colors of paint, the wood chipping off the handle clearly old from standard wear and tear. Kalista’s fingerprint was even caked in with red paint right at the base.

Adras was fond of watching Kalsta work her magic on the canvas. Not because of the obvious dedication to sit and draw for hours on end, or how one block of color could turn into a portrait of beauty and realism, she was far more impressed with Kalista’s dedication to looking in a mirror, changing her form to a completely different human being. 

They had all known Kalista as the one with eyes of amber and hair like a raven’s wing, curling near her ears and framing her delicate face. But when she painted, she became a new person. The selling point of Daring’s phrase _we have a girl for all your fantasies_. She could change, like magic, to whatever you wanted, to whoever you wanted.

Adras admired Kalista with hair reminiscent of sand, her lips now thin, eyes as slender as her button nose. No freckles, no moles, nothing but the natural rose of her cheeks and overly pale complexion. A different person indeed. Looking more like the standard girl-next-door.

Everyone wondered whether Kalista really showcased her true self in the Poppy Circus Outlet, but with the power to be as beautiful as you wanted, there was no mistake Kalista wasn’t actually Kalista. Those pillow lips and slender waist, her fingers delicate and smooth with small imperfect moles and freckles in just the right areas were too coincidental. Even her large eyes, like whiskey set in the sun, had been too perfect for a single woman to possess. Too dreamy. More like a drawing herself made from a male fantasy.

“You’re really making an image,” Adras said, taking another large sip of her drink. If Kalista didn’t finish her own glass, Adras would gladly finish the whole bottle herself. She once claimed she loved wine more than water, and it was still standing true three years later.

“I’m trying to make a blue light reflect on the face, but we don’t have any sort of blue light in these godforsaken walls. Do you think you could grab me some sort of blue paper the next time you leave for Wall Market? We can put it over one of the bulbs or something.” Kalista said, laughing to herself at the thought of causing some sort of fire simply for a painting, “I have to wait anyway, the first few layers need to dry before I can continue.

Adras nodded, but she was sure she was going to forget the request in a few hours. Just like the horrid customer she had to bear with the night before. His mannerisms alone caused her vagina to dry up like the wasteland, how his kisses were drunk and sloppy, stick fingers crawling on her breasts with long fingernails. She had small grazes where he dug a bit too deep. Nothing too dramatic, and something she hadn’t dealt with before, but if a customer ever comes to her and says _I’m going to eat you out like you never have before_ followed by a distinct _nom nom nom._ She was done. She was packing her bags and heading west.

Kalista laughed for nearly twenty minutes when she heard the story, and Adras couldn’t help but chime in with her own heavy laughter as Kalista continued to tease her. Now Adras would never live it down, but hearing the other girls laugh at the craziest stories made the experience much more thrilling and fun.

“I’ll be sure to write it down for you.” Kalista reminded, “that and the millions of other things the girls will forget.”

“Like condoms?”

“Exactly. 

Kalista’s blond appearance washed away as she sat down at one of the bar stools, like water on a shore, fading into more natural hues of brown and gold before Daring’s voice echoed from the hallway, clearly speaking to someone before Adras stopped to take another drink, as did Kalista, still unnerved by the bitter taste rolling through her mouth.

“Never did like wine.” She said as she tried to ignore Daring’s voice. His usually boisterous and rambunctious tone was aggravating, especially after his new set rules about windows and doors needing to be locked. _They’re going to break in_ , he’d say, despite those from Wutai unlikely to be found in a brothel in Midgar. He was just taking advantage of the fear brought on by war.

Typical.

“She’s in here,” Daring said, turning into the lobby as Adras finished off her glass, taking Kalista’s from her hand as Sephiroth walked in. 

Her stomach dropped, and she put a smile on her face despite still being a little pissed. She’s been thinking about his godly hands all day, and she was certain he wasn’t going to show unless she sent some sort of apologetic letter in the mail or an indecent photo of herself, both of which were even beneath her. 

Adras tried not to smile as she bit her lip, leaning in with a low whisper of “guess you really did hook him in, huh?”


	7. 1.7

Kalista rubbed her hands on her shorts, taking another dry sip of wine as Adras and Daring took their leave from the lobby. Apparently Sephiroth had a few requests and Daring took them seriously, leading the now tipsy Adras from the safety of the yellow-painted lobby, and leaving Kalista alone with the man who left her asking for more the night before.

Despite her wishes, she wasn’t planning on seeing him. No choice words, no questions, just a reluctant lust not leaving her thoughts. She wanted Sephiroth to continue using her, letting those carnal pleasures get the better of her in a fit of trembling limbs and pitiful moans. He knew how to make her feel good, and she wanted it more now than ever, but her tongue stayed still as Sephiroth shut the lobby doors behind him. Leaving just the two of them to inhale the soiled oils of the paint together. 

The room suddenly got an eerie quiet, minus the heartbeat growing in her ears as his footsteps grew closer. How she dared not turn to even look at him, keeping her eyes straight towards the bar, legs crossed on the seat as his hand fell over the brushes she left on the table. Fingers coated in leather, and she imagined them in places they ought to be, drenched as they played with her.

“You have a problem with touching other people’s things,” Kalista said, finishing off the cup she stole back from Adras. Despite the taste, it was pleasantly smooth and it did its job. She felt far more relaxed than she had before, the alcohol making her fingers a bit numb and her lips a little fuzzy. Not enough for her to be shit-faced, but enough to endure the pestering of Sephiroth’s questions for a bit of time. “Not just things, might I add, my things.”

And she didn’t just mean the physical. Information was just as personal and far more private. 

“How long have you had these?” He asked, simple, with a small hint of curiosity looming in his voice. Before she could answer, he placed it back in its slot, with the rest as if he hadn’t even disturbed it. Merely inspecting, and she was certain he was doing the same with her. Toying with her until he really got what he wanted, whatever it was.

Kalista placed the glass of wine down, turning to him with a solemn smile. “Three years if you really needed to know.” She tried to keep the bitterness of her voice from creeping in, “birthday present if it’s so important.”

Her aching sarcasm had added the bonus of mischief in Sephiroth’s smile. It wasn’t enough to snap, but he could tell she was clearly angered at something, particularly at him with how swift her laughter with Adras changed to sore malice when she was left alone. How easily he could hear her crisp voice when he walked into the building, now suddenly disinterested and upset.

Kalista was obviously not the type to beg and plead, she liked the game as much as he did, and it was going to be interesting on who broke first. 

She finished off the glass before she could even get another taste of sharp alcohol coating her throat. It was sadly not enough.

“What are you doing here?” She asked, walking towards the corner bar, Sephiroth’s eyes focusing on her as she moved. “Daring never mentioned your schedule, I ought to know something, right?”

He hadn’t said a word, and it gave Kalista enough time to pour herself another glass of hard scotch. The one so old and so expensive it would pay off the inn for years, perhaps centuries. Daring kept it to impress the richer customers who would come in with millions of Gil lining their pockets as change, and he’d be beyond pissed knowing she was having a few sips of it without his permission, let alone almost half a glass to herself. 

Sephiroth’s deep voice filled her ears as she let the smooth drink cause her fingers to tingle, “I told you what I wanted.”

A smile crept on her face as Sephiroth’s brows furrowed at her next crude answer, “I didn’t cum. That was the deal was it not? My payment. Simple. No teasing, no begging, just let me feel good for a few minutes and I’ll answer whatever you want. Very straight forward, Sephiroth.”

The corners of his lips lifted up in such a devious way Kalista’s spine trembled. Almost as if she pressed the wrong button and now she was heading downwards instead of up. But it wasn’t what she had expected at all. He plainly loved hearing her say his name. How her tongue traced those vowels and left him wanting her to keep repeating it over and over again. It wasn’t enough to hear her moan. He wanted her to plead his name deep in the night.

His presence behind her left the same smile on both their faces for a few seconds. The footsteps stopped, and Kalista set the glass on the counter before she saw his fingers trace on the freckles on her wrist, now running up the bare skin of her arm in slow, calculated movements like he practiced on what ways to make her squirm. 

The back of his knuckle tracing her veins, very reminiscent to how Kalista’s fingers moved on his palms the night before. Soft, alluring, a wish for something more as he parted the strap of her tank top and bra, leaving on small kiss right in the dimple of her shoulder.

Kalista’s eyes shut as he moved her hair aside, hot breath heavy on her neck as his lips touched her flesh with delicate precision. Fingers in her hair, another at her wrist, both to keep her at bay long enough to get the reactions he wanted. 

She let out a small whimper as he kissed near her jaw, back to the area he had assaulted with his tongue numerous times before. Kalista couldn’t think except relish in the nerves skyrocketing at his inhuman touch. Wanting more, needing more despite the repercussions of last night, the possibility of someone walking through those doors, she wanted him to make her feel good right there, and how quickly he had moved his hand around her jaw, holding her face in place, she got her answer.

His fingers slowly traced on her protruding vein at her neck, pressing it ever so lightly to stop the blood flow. How Kalista swallowed at the sudden change in pace, but she wouldn’t be angry at the idea. Being choked by Sephiroth in just the right way sent pleasure running down to her intimate areas, she only wished it was a tad harder.

The whole idea of being utterly dominated was never something she was into. But Sephiroth, pleasing her in a number of ways, the ideas of him taking what he wanted, leaving her a stuttering mess as he did whatever he wanted, it turned her on. If someone came in they could watch how he so effortlessly screwed around with her, and she’d let them. 

A shiver ran down her spine as he pushed her into the counter. She wasn’t sure if it was the chill of the granite pressed on her flesh, or Sephiroth’s now bare fingers running up her legs, but she was trembling. She didn’t protest, she didn’t want to. Kalista was dreaming of being touched by him again, waiting until he could come and finish the job.

His lips found her ear, his voice laced with curiosity and a deep hunger that kept Kalista silent “have you really been waiting?”

She couldn’t help but nod in response, waiting until he slipped a hand down her shorts, immediately flicking at her clit without so much as a warning. She was already getting excited by the words he was speaking, but how he played with her made her mind go a bit cloudy as he went fast, pushing her harder into the granite counter until her knees were shaking.

Her fingers curled, the reflection of his smile shining in the glass of scotch. He whispered again, the deep growl that left her far more speechless than any physical touch, “simple is it?” He mocked her earlier statement, teeth nearly nipping at her ear, “say my name, and I’ll give you what you want.”

He inserted a single finger, then another, pumping in the right areas to make that familiar knot grow in the deep pit of her stomach. Her walls soaking his hand, dripping down her thigh as he asked her again. Say it, so simple, almost fascinated with how her legs trembled underneath him the longer he kept his fingers curled inside her, the sound of juices soaking her underwear and the quiet moans she let out with every inch pulling in and out of her.

She instinctively tried to shut her legs, but Sephiroth’s hands kept that from happening. Now pulling her back up, standing, his hand wrapped around her jaw, never losing a moment to finger her mercilessly. 

Her moans grew louder as he let his lips run down her neck pausing only at the area that truly made her squirm. Pitiful cries escaping from her throat, eyes shut closed as his tongue ran across her flesh, much more lustful than before.

“Sephiroth,” she gasped, breathing overtaking her as he went a bit faster. 

Just as he said, saying his name made him move quicker. Her mind going cloudy as she said it again. This time crying it out. Her arm curling behind his neck, head twisting to barely see the glazed look in his eye as she said it again. Much more confident, head filling with lack of blood and air as he never faltered. He knew how much she wanted it, how she craved it more than anything.

Now the two of them were both getting what they wanted.

Kalista felt the fire grew bigger as he continued to kiss her neck, her own fingers grabbing his hair, not wanting to let him go either. She needed him there, to finish her off. She was on edge the night before, nearly coming against his fingers in the time span they were together, now she was closer than ever, and she was planning on making him stay there as long as possible. 

His fingers kept going, the juices slipping down her thighs some more as she moaned his name again, holding onto his hair for support in case she would fall. The knot was growing, rabid, and deep into her core as Sephiroth let his finger hit the exact spot she wanted. Her feet were beginning to lose balance, her legs shaking as he felt her climax underneath him with one final breath of his name.

Kalista fell onto the counter as Sephiroth let her go, body shaking, toes curled as she tried to regain her lost breath. Her skin had become flushed and legs now coated with her own mess as she tried to regain the feeling lost. 

Every nerve felt as if it was lit with fire. 

“I-” She couldn’t even speak, how he left her in a pitiful mess of lust. “I guess you get your answers.” She said. A deal was a deal, but she hadn’t expected him to make her feel like that.

“Hmm,” Sephiroth said, satisfaction coating his voice as his lips felt upon her ear again. “I’ll be waiting for you in your bedroom when you recover.”

Kalista took a deep breath. 

Oh, what games he had in store for her.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, ya'll. Just a reminder this is a fanfic posted from my Tumblr account (Ego-Driven-One-Wing-Angel) originally. So please don't think someone has stolen the other's work, it's mine, it's me, I have all the rights to this work (Minus the beautiful specimen that is Sephiroth). 
> 
> I hope you have a swell day!
> 
> P.S. If you're one of the lucky few who has not come from Tumblr originally, I have headcanons/fanfics/imagines and drabbles posted there! So if you have a Tumblr, be sure to go check that out because I have tons of work there too!!


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